A Taste of Things to Come: Editorial

OK, I think this may be the weak link, and thus the first to get the axe.

Are Heroes Scary, or Role Models?

Dan Didio has stated that he wants people to feel around superheroes the same way he wants to feel around the National Guard. Meaning, that when you would see a superhero, you become paranoid and frightened, afraid that they are coming after you. But, how exactly would that work?

Yes, when you see a police officer, or a National Guardsman, you might feel a tinge of paranoia. You might wonder “Are they coming after me?” “Might they think that I did something wrong?” But, how does that work when talking about Superman? Does Superman just walk down the street busting criminals? Or does he mainly fight supervillains. And if he is always fighting supervillains, or saying hello to normal people, why would you be so afraid?

Wouldn’t if feel more like meeting an NBA player? Watching your favorite athlete week in and out battling the opposing team, and then seeing them in person. You would be awed. You would want to touch them, get their autograph. You would not want to run away from them, hide from their frightening visage. Now, imagine if that basketball game was for life or death. You would not suddenly change your attitudes concerning your “hero”. You would still love them, cheer for them, want to touch them and get your autograph. A superhero is still a role model. They do the right thing. They are not the police, that is made clear time after time in comics, so why is that hard to understand?

Maybe it becomes so when the person does not understand heroes as it is. They do not love the characters and concept. Instead, they are given a job. Maybe even a job they consider “beneath them”. Their “love” is merely for the financial aspect, and so they want to project their own feelings into mediums that do not mesh well with these feelings. But, once you have control, you start to want to take more and more. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. And when you have an entire publishing line beneath you, you have power. But always remember “With great power comes great responsibility”. You have to push beyond your own feelings, in order to see the truth beneath the illusion. You need to be able to make decisions that you may not agree with, and that you may not like, because they are the good decisions. While your way may be good for the short term, you must look beyond that. Come back to the light.

Come back to the right thing.